Jets 2, Lightning 1

TAMPA, Fla. (AP)

Little scored a tiebreaking goal late in the third period,
Montoya made 28 saves, and the Jets beat the Lightning 2-1 on
Thursday night.

''We knew it was going to be a tough road game,'' Montoya said.
''We knew we had to keep the score down, and that's what we
did.''

Little slid the puck from in-close past goalie Anders Lindback
with 4:08 to play. Winnipeg also got a goal from Eric Tangradi.

''I had a bit of room and it opened up,'' Little said. ''I
wasn't really aiming anywhere. I just tried to sneak it
through.''

The Jets were beaten by the Lightning 8-3 on Feb. 1. This
outcome was much different.

Montoya made a couple of strong saves, including on a
left-circle shot by Steven Stamkos, during a 2-minute, 5-on-3 Tampa
Bay power play midway through the second period. The Lightning's
two-man advantage came after Paul Postma (interference) and Mark
Stuart (high-sticking) were both given minor penalties at 7:57.

''He's great in the room ... he's great on the ice,'' Jets
defenssman Zach Bogosian said of the backup goalie. ''It's good to
see him go in there and battle, and he works hard, and he shows it
in his game.''

Stamkos got his 18th goal this season for the Lightning, who
have lost six of seven.

''It's not fun when you're losing,'' Stamkos said. ''Obviously,
you've got to produce, but you want to do it when the team is
winning. Feels a lot better that way. When you're not winning, then
maybe there's more I can do, we can do as a team.''

Stamkos tied it at 1 when he skated into the low slot and put a
shot past Montoya after taking a pass from Martin St. Louis 6:57
into the third period. St. Louis has five assists and seven points
during a five-game points streak.

''I thought in the third period we were the better team, but
they got a chance and they score, and we hit the post and their
goalie makes some big saves,'' Stamkos said.

Tangradi stopped a personal 49-game goal drought dating back to
Oct. 15, 2010 against the New York Islanders and put the Jets up
1-0. The center beat Lindback from the low left circle midway
through the first period.

Winnipeg, which entered with the NHL's lowest-ranked
short-handed unit, killed off all five Lightning power plays.

''Awesome job,'' Montoya said. ''They had a tough time entering
the zone, and when they did, and when there were loose pucks in the
zone, we were pouncing all over it. I had to make one or two saves,
but I knew where the puck was going, so when it did get there, I
was there.''

The Jets also failed to score during a 50-second, 5-on-3 late in
the second period.

NOTES: Tangradi's goal was also his first point in 16 games. His
previous point came on an assist against the New York Rangers on
April 5, 2012. ... Tampa Bay LW Ryan Malone returned after missing
13 consecutive games with an undisclosed lower body injury and had
an assist. ... Thursday was just the fourth time this season the
Jets have had the lead after the first period. ... Winnipeg LW
Evander Kane had nine of the Jets' 28 shots. ... Stamkos had seven
shots. ... Tampa Bay captain Vincent Lecavalier has not scored a
goal in the last nine games.

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